Matt began by summarizing themes from the latter part of Chapter 4 of Occult Science, focusing on the fall of Atlantis and the first several post-Atlantean cultural epochs. He noted how Steiner described the Atlantean period as a time when human soul qualities significantly influenced the body’s then more fluid physical form, which has today grown more condensed and contracted.
Matt emphasized Steiner’s challenge to the scientific principle of uniformitarianism, which posits that current natural laws apply indefinitely into past phases of Earth and cosmic evolution. Instead, Steiner is proposing what could be called a science of metamorphosis, which contrasts with a materialistic science seeking to explain history as the rearrangement of particles according to fixed laws. He gave the example of a butterfly, which when subjected to a merely material analysis of its present state would never reveal itself to have once been a caterpillar.
Matt continued by discussing how during the later Atlantean period, human astral bodies were influenced by luciferic and ahrimanic forces, leading to the spread of what should have been secret knowledge, unleashing powerful natural forces and ultimately causing Atlantis's destruction. This catastrophe led to migrations, particularly eastward, and the dispersal of the Guardians of the Oracle Secrets.
Matt noted that some humans at this transitional time became either too rigid or too plastic and so died out, while those balanced between these extremes survived into the post-Atlantean period. This period saw a closer alignment of the physical and etheric bodies, which was significant for human evolution as it led to the development of self-consciousness and the beginnings of thought life, a sense of ourselves as I-beings ensconced within the brain.
Matt then elaborated on the Christ or Sun Oracles, who preserved the etheric body from negative influences and played a crucial role in the post-Atlantean period. The Christ initiates sought humans with closely aligned physical and etheric bodies who were thus best suited to further the evolutionary process. Seven initiates were chosen and trained to carry the secrets of the Sun into Ancient India. In some sense, these were human beings of ordinary intellect and heart, but because of their solar initiation, they were capable of channeling wisdom from their spiritual predecessors, conveying teachings in a direct and almost telepathic manner.
Matt mentioned the transitions through various post-Atlantean periods: ancient India, Persia, Egypt, and Greece, each with its unique contributions to spiritual and intellectual development. In Persia, Zarathustra prophesied the coming descent of the Sun being, and in Egypt, Hermes taught about reuniting with spiritual powers after death. The Greco-Roman period, closest to our own, saw Greek art expressing spiritual perfection and the beginnings of direct intellectual expression of initiatory secrets.
Max asked how the different oracles' influences appear in today's world, pondering their modern manifestations. Angus suggested looking into Steiner's lectures on folk souls for insights, linking national characteristics to different spiritual influences.
Angus reflected on the personal relevance of Steiner’s work, noting how connecting with history through Steiner’s narratives made it feel more real. He shared his experience of finding similarities between concepts in the Bhagavad Gita and Steiner's philosophy, highlighting the timeless nature of these spiritual truths.
Ashton expressed skepticism about the narrative's believability, finding the description of oracles and initiates fantastical. Angus responded by pointing to historical figures like Melchizedek, suggesting that understanding these patterns could make the narrative more tangible.
Lorenzo inquired about correspondences between Steiner's and Blavatsky's works, noting their shared roots in Theosophy. Bruce added that Steiner's sources included Theosophy and Rosicrucian traditions. Bruce also returned to the issue of uniformitarianism, emphasizing the need for empirical evidence to support scientific claims.
On the subject of Steiner's theosophical influences, Bruce has also shared a very interested webpage claiming Blavatsky's work has Kabbalistic sources: https://gangleri.nl/articles/48/the-stanzas-of-dzyan-and-the-sifra-di-tseniutha/
When we were discussing uniformitarianism, Bruce mentioned an article by geologist Norman Grant examining Steiner's claims about radioactivity being a recent phenomenon. Here's a link to that article, which was originally submitted to the Journal of Anthroposophic Medicine: https://footnotes2plato.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/grant-earth-science.pdf
Grant writes in the introduction to his article: "I suggest that the heart of Anthroposophically-extended earth science is not the literal defense of every statement made by Steiner concerning the history of the Earth, because this will limit us to speaking only to Anthroposophists. The heart lies, rather, in the application to understanding the Earth of the approach to knowledge set out in Anthroposophy."